7 Classic X-Men Villains Who Don’t Get Enough Credit

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For almost 70 years, the X-Men have been one of the most beloved teams in comic book history. Their popularity led Marvel to build a whole world of characters around them – heroes, villains, and everyone in between. Many X-Men, both heroes and villains, are incredibly well-known and have appeared in video games and movies. In fact, the X-Men arguably have the best group of villains in all of comics, with several ranking among Marvel’s most iconic. While some villains are hugely famous, many other fantastic characters deserve more recognition.

The X-Men have had a long and eventful history, constantly battling powerful enemies. While many classic X-Men villains are memorable, some haven’t received the recognition they deserve. Here are seven awesome villains who deserve more attention.

7) Mojo

I’ve always been a huge fan of the X-Men and their incredible adventures across the Marvel Universe. One of the things that really explains their popularity, especially in worlds beyond our own like Earth-616, is this character named Mojo. He’s the boss of these creatures called the Spineless Ones, and they live for entertainment. Mojo provides it, but it’s seriously twisted – think violent games, really harsh sitcoms, and constant live streams of… well, everything. What’s really scary is he loves kidnapping the X-Men and throwing them into the most dangerous challenges imaginable, all just to keep his audience happy. It’s a terrifying cycle, but it’s made Mojo a major player in their stories.

Mojo embodies all the worst traits of a Hollywood producer, which ironically makes him a fantastic villain. Despite being truly awful, he’s appeared in a surprising number of memorable stories, often without getting the recognition he deserves.

6) Deathbird

Chris Claremont fundamentally changed the X-Men, creating most of the elements fans adore today. A particularly memorable addition was the Shi’Ar Empire, which has become deeply woven into the X-Men’s history, especially through the powerful Neramani family. While many Shi’Ar characters are interesting, Deathbird stands out as a fan favorite. Though she embodies the familiar trope of a strong, power-hungry alien warrior, she remains a consistently enjoyable character to follow.

Deathbird is a powerful and visually striking character who could be a force for good or evil. She’s strong enough to go toe-to-toe with even the most powerful X-Men, and deserves more recognition.

5) Unus the Untouchable

The early X-Men comics, created by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby, aren’t as highly regarded as some of their other famous work. Though not their most popular or critically acclaimed, these comics still showcased Lee and Kirby’s talent for creating memorable characters – some of whom have faded into obscurity. One example is Unus the Untouchable, who has the ability to generate a powerful force field that deflects almost any attack.

Unus is a typical villain from the Silver Age of comics. While he’s incredibly powerful, he doesn’t have a well-developed personality, making him a versatile character that anyone can easily adapt and use in their own stories.

4) Toad

Magneto is often seen as a hero now, but many people overlook his troubling past. He was particularly cruel to Toad, essentially treating him as a slave – constantly belittling and physically abusing him, and exploiting his abilities. After finally escaping Magneto’s control, Toad has largely become a figure of ridicule, which is unfortunate considering his impressive powers, like his incredible jumping and unique abilities with his tongue and acid spit.

Toad has commanded his own group of evil mutants and is surprisingly intelligent. With a few changes, he could easily become a major villain for the X-Men.

3) Sauron

Sauron is a villain with a lot of untapped potential. Originally, he was transformed by a pterodactyl bite, gaining the ability to absorb the life force of mutants and becoming a were-pterodactyl. This gave him incredible strength, resilience, flight, hypnotic powers, and fire breath, making him a powerful enemy. Later, experiments with Weapon X enhanced him with electrical and telekinetic abilities, making him even more dangerous.

While he wasn’t a particularly threatening villain on his own, the idea of a were-pterodactyl is really cool. Sauron is a fantastic villain, and it’s about time Marvel incorporated him into their stories as a significant character.

2) Blob

The Brotherhood of Evil Mutants was a formidable group, but Blob is often overlooked despite being one of its strongest members. He’s incredibly strong and has nearly impenetrable skin. Plus, he can control his balance, making it almost impossible to move him against his will.

This villain is a bit tricky to use in modern stories because of changing attitudes towards obesity, but his incredible powers are a major draw. He’s an incredibly strong and powerful fighter, capable of challenging even the most formidable heroes. With the right story, he could become as popular and unstoppable as Juggernaut once was – a truly overwhelming force for evil.

1) Mastermind

Mastermind is potentially one of Marvel’s most formidable villains, but he’s never been fully utilized. This mutant possesses incredibly powerful mind control abilities – strong enough to influence even someone as powerful as Jean Grey, and was instrumental in the emergence of the Dark Phoenix. His powers are effective against even the strongest telepaths, making him a truly dangerous threat.

What’s really striking about this character is how much his small-mindedness motivates everything he does. He even uses his powers to alter his appearance, insecure about his looks and wanting to avoid being seen as unattractive. He has incredible potential; if he were a more focused and dedicated villain, he could easily defeat most heroes.

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2025-10-31 23:15